Shoe machine



R. H. LAWSON SHOE MACHINE arch 10, 1936.

Filed May 21, 1931 ll Sheets-Sheetl vE v 70R ag 7 i II Fig.1.

March 1-0,- 1936. R. H. LAWSON SHOE MACHINE ll Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1931 VF/v 70R W M Kw Marci-110, 1936. R. H. LAWSON I SHOE MACHINE Fi led May 21, 1931 11 shets sheet s l/E/V TUAZ.

March 10, 1936.

R. H. LAWSON SHOE MACHINE 11 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 21, 1931 March 10, 1936.

R. H, LAWSON SHOE MACHINE Filed May 21, 1931 ll Sheets-Sheet 5 l w 4 6 a w 10, 1936. I R. H. LAWSON 2,033,248

SHOE MACHINE Filed May 21, 1931 11 Sheets-Sheet 6 MM mm March 10, 1936.

R. 'H. LAWSON- SHOE MACHINE Filed May 21, 1931 ll sheets shee t 7 llll II MW MRHWI March 10, 1936.

R. H. LAWSON SHOE MACHINE Filed May 21, 1931 ll Sheets-Sheet 9 arch 1.0, 1936, R. H. LAWSON SHOE MACHINE ll Sheets-Sheet l0 Filed May 21, 1931 $9 l/E/V TUAZ R. LAWSON SHOE MACHINE Filed May 21, 1931 ll Sheets-Sheet ll Patented Mar. 10, 1936 SHOE MACHINE Application May 21, 1931, Serial No. 538,963

244 Claims.

My invention relates to shoe machines, and particularly to those employed for operating upon the heel-portions of shoes, the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed being arranged to prick in heel-bases nail-receiving openings, attach such bases to shoes by nails driven in the prickecl openings, and to further nail lifts of rubber or other material upon the attached bases. It includes certain subject-matter in common with the application for improvements in Machines for operating upon shoes, filed in my name in the United States Patent Office on February 4, 1926, with the Serial No. 86,078, and which, on January 5, 1932, became Patent No.

An object of the invention is to provide for rapid and efiective operation of an apparatus of the character above indicated, the pricking, nailing or other operations going on while the operator is removing work which has been previously operated upon and is supplying other work. For the attainment of this object, there are employed a plurality of operating mechanisms, as those for pricking, base-nailing and lift-nailing, said mechanisms being movable to an operating position common to all and there movable to perform their operations, and a plurality of work-supports or jacks movable to receive the action of the mechanisms at such common position, the supports and mechanisms being moved to and from the common operating position in definite time-relation to each other, the work being retained by each support at such position to receive the successive action of the operating mechanisms. The operating mechanisms are shown as mounted upon a rotatable turret or support, while there are plural worksupports, preferably two in number, which successively present the work to the operating mechanisms, the operator unjacking and jacking shoes at the same time the operating cycle is being performed upon a reviously jacked shoe by the plural mechanisms automatically moved into position and actuated. At the operating position,

each mechanism comes under the influence of an actuating mechanism which is common to all. I also preferably employ pressure mechanism which moves toward and holds the worksuppcrts in operating relation to the turret-borne mechanisms, and which is common to all said work-supports. The actuating and pressure mechanisms are of such a character and so mounted as to effectually apply their forces and resist those to which they are subjected. Among the features which contribute to the effectiveness of my improved machine are the manner of mounting, positioning and actuating the worksupports or jacks; the automatic initiation of the operating cycle under the influence of a work-support; the character and manner of control of the pressure mechanism, including a diminution of pressure when lifts are being attached; the construction of the turret and the mounting of the operating mechanism thereon; the adapting of the pricking mechanism to insert simultaneously with the pricking operation one or more preliminary base-securing nails; the arrangement of the operating mechanisms in independently movable sections which may be positioned by contact with the work; the organ- 15 ization of the common actuating mechanism for the operating mechanisms; the manner of looking the plural sections of the various operating mechanisms; and the means for introducing such work-pieces as the lifts into attaching position.

A further object of the invention is to so supply nails to the nailing mechanisms that the change from one size of nail to another is facilitated. and. if desired, nails of different sizes may be delivered from a single holding device for one heeling operation. To this end, I combine with a plurality of nailing mechanisms, which may be any or all of the preliminary base-nailing, final base-nailing and lift-nailing organizations previously mentioned, a unitary holder, as a block provided with nail-holding openings, and means arranged to deliver nails from the holder to plural nailing mechanisms. The delivery is from certain holding openings to one nailing mechanism, and from other openings toanother mechanism. The blocks may be loaded with nails for the heeling of a particular lot of shoes, and for a different lot it is only necessary to supply the apparatus with a block holding the kind or size of nails which should be employed. Because of the delivery from particular block-openings to particular nailing mechanisms, a single block may supply nails of one character to the pricking and base-nailing mechanisms and of a different character to the lift-nailing mechanism. I prefer to arrange the nail-holding openings in a series of sets, each set containing the nails for a single heeling operation and there being in the series enough sets, for example, to supply nails for the heeling of a case of shoes. There are connections between the holder and nailing mechanisms whereby different mechanisms receive nails from difierent openings of each set, and there is means for moving the holder as the nails in different sets of openings of the series are successively delivered, first for work upon one support or jack and then for that upon another. To increase the number of loads of nails which may be used, without attention by the operator, there is associate-d with the nail-supplying mechanism a container or magazine for a plurality of holding devices, together with means for transferring them therefrom for use, and means for presenting them successively in the container for transfer. This transfer occurs after a predetermined number of operations of the nailing mechanism, indicating that the nails from the preceding holding device have become exhausted. Features of the nail-supplying or distributing mechanism involve the arrangement of the magazine and the transfer of the blocks or holding devices from it to feeding means, preferably cooperating with a stationary support or table along which the blocks are advanced in the delivery of the contained nails; the manner of stripping from each block its nail-retaining slide or shutter to prevent interference of the freed nails with a delivering device which determines the particular nailing mechanisms to which they pass; the feeding mechanism which advances the nail-holding blocks step by step for delivery; the retaining means for the feeding mechanism and its release at the completion of the feed of each block; and the arrangement and actuation of the delivering device to eifect the selective distribution of the sets of nails to the plural nailing mechanisms.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a particular embodiment of my improved machine, with parts broken away and in section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine, broken and sectioned in portions;

Fig. 3 is a similar front elevation;

Fig. 4 illustrates somewhat diagrammatically in horizontal section the arrangement of the three operating positions of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line V-V of Fig. 4, showing a portion of the locking mechanism for two pricking units;

Fig. 6, an enlarged broken front elevation of one of the jacks and its mounting;

Fig. 7, a central vertical section through the pricking mechanism;

Fig. 8, a sectional detail on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9, a top plan View of the lift-holder;

Fig. 10, a vertical transverse section through the base-nailing mechanism;

Fig. 11, a vertical sectional detail particularly showing the nail-retaining means associated with each inserting section;

Fig. 12, a diagram illustrating the pricking and nailing designs for the three operating positions;

Fig. 13, a broken top plan View of the nail-distributor;

Fig. 14, a broken side elevation thereof;

Fig. 15, a broken front elevation of the distributor;

Fig. 16, a broken perspective view of said distributor; and

Fig. 1'7 (Sheet 5), a vertical sectional detail on the line XVIL-XVII of Fig. 13.

As to the general plan of operation of the machine, the shoes to be heeled are placed alternately upon oscillatory jacks J and. 7'. Each jack with the applied shoe S is carried, first manually as advanced by the operator and then automatically under the power of the machine, from the work-receiving position to an operating position, the former positions of both jacks being in close proximity to each other and the latter common to the two jacks. When the operations are being performed upon the work carried by the thusadvanced jack, the operator is supplying the companion jack with a shoe, which is similarly moved into operating position when the jack with the heeled shoe is automatically thrown out by the machine. The work in the operating position is acted upon successively, in definite time-relation to its introduction and ejection upon the jacks, by three mechanisms A, B and C (Fig. 4) spaced uniformly about a supporting turret T rotatable about a vertical axis. Each of these opcrating mechanisms may be of the general character of that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,686,821, granted October 9, 1928, on an application filed in my name, having independent movable sections adjusting themselves to the contour of the article upon which they act, each section either pricking nail-receiving openings or inserting nails in the work. The mechanism A (Fig. 7) is organized to first prick eight holes p in a heel-base H which the operator has applied to the heel-seat of the jacked shoe before movement toward the operating position. At the same time with the pricking of the openings, two nails N are driven at a to secure the base until the mechanism B has operated upon it. The location of the pricked openings and the points of insertion of the nails are as shown in Fig. 12 of the drawings. Then the turret is turned through 120 and the mecha nism B (Fig. 10) arrives at the operating position, its sections driving eight nails at b in the pricked holes 10. These nails effect the permanent attachment of the base to the heel-seat of the shoe. Following this, the mechanism C comes intoposition as the turret again turns through 120, and a top lift 71., which may be of rubber, is automatically carried over the base by a holder D, in which it has been placed by the operator, and is secured to said base by six nails driven at c. This completes the heeling of the shoe, and its jack is swung out to the work-receiving position, while the turret rotates through the final 120 of the cycle to present mechanism A at the operating position. At said operating position is pressure mechanism E (Fig. 3) engaging the jack which is at the time active and serving to clamp the work successively against the three mechanisms A, B and C to resist the pricking and nailinserting forces. Similarly, the pricking and driving instrumentalities are successively reciprocated in their mechanisms A, B and C by actuating mechanism F (Figs. 2 and '7) common to all and into engagement with which the rotation of the turret T successively carries them. Nails are automatically supplied to the operating mechanisms by a distributing mechanism G (Figs. 13 to 1'7). This mechanism G delivers the three groups of nails for insertion at a, b and c from sets of openings extending transversely of holder-blocks 9, there being a series of these sets of openings extending longitudinally of each block, as in United States Patent No. 1,325,751, Pope, December 23, 1919. A supply of the blocks 9 to the distributor is automatically maintained from a magazine M as each block is emptied of its nails.

Considering now in detail the structure of the machine, it has a main frame 20, which supports and to a considerable extent encloses the elements. The turret T rotates within this enclosure, and access to its mechanisms A, B and C by the jacks J and y is given by an opening 22 at the front. As is best seen in Figs. 1, 3 and 6 of the drawings, there are carried in lugs 24 at opposite sides of the opening 22 vertical pivotrods 26, about which oscillate hollow jack-supporting arms 28, 28. A description of the arrangement of one of the jacks and its mounting will, in the main, serve for both. In the outer extremity of each arm is a vertical bore, in which is rotatable a cylindrical carrier member 30 supported by a flange 32 resting upon the arm. At the top of this carrier member are ways 33 to receive a jack, as J, which will support an unlasted shoe S for the heeling operation. As illustrated, this jack is arranged for cooperation with a shoe in the heel-seat-end of the bottom of which are two positioning openings. It is therefore provided with spaced pins 35, 34 (Fig. 2), shown as mounted to yield vertically. These pins receive the openings in the shoes and locate them in the correct relation to the mechanisms which are to perform the heeling operations. The pins are also suificiently long to enter openings in each base H and lift h to fix the location of these relatively to the shoe and to the operating mechanisms. To maintain the jack in the same angular relation about its vertical axis so it may be convenient for the operator to apply and remove the work in the outward position and so said work will be properly presented to the operating mechanisms, the member 39 has formed in its periphery a gear-segment 36, the teeth of which are elongated vertically. The segment 36 is engaged by a gear-segment 38 upon one arm of a bell-crank lever til iulcrumed within the arm 28. A chain of connections, made up of a link 42 (Fig. l), bell-crank lever 24 and a link 46, joins the lever QB through the arm 28 to a projection G8 formed upon the upper lug 24. As a result of these connections, as each arm 28 is swung from work-receiving to operating position and reversely, the jack-carrier 3B is rotated in its arm, as well as revolved thereby, to maintain the jack in the same angular relation, this being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine.

To produce automatic movement of the jacks into and out of operating position, the pivot-rod 28 of the arm '38 of jack J has fixed to its lower portion an arm 5%] extending into the frame and united by a link 52 to a lever 54 fulcrumed near the rear of said frame. The pivot-pin of the jack 9 has secured at its upper portion an arm 55 expanded laterally to sector-form, and this, similarly to the associated arm 28, is joined by a link 52 to a lever These lower and upper levers 55 have their inner extremities lying in substantially the same vertical plane, and each has mounted upon it a roll 58. The rolls belonging to the jacks J and i are received at points 180 apart by a camroove $8 in the periphery of a disk 62 rotatable about a horizontal shaft 5-. extending longitudinally oi the machine. The cam-disk is driven from a motor 83 through reduction-gearing 38, an elongated pinion secured to the shaft 64, a gear it? fast upon a lower horizontal shaft 14, a pinion l5 fixed upon said shaft, and a gear l8 formed with the disk. The contour of the groove 6% is such that, at the beginning of the operating cycle, the roll of the chain of connections from one of the jacks is in a portion of the groove parallel to the axis. At this time, this jack may be swung by the operator from the workreceiving position toward the operating position. Upon starting the machine, the remainder of the of movement.

cam-groove [ill for 180 completes the inward movement of the jack and looks it in position for registration with the operating mechanisms A, B and C for the performance of the operations upon a jacked shoe. Prior to this, the companion jack, which has been locked in operating position by the cam, is released, at a point diametrically opposite the portion 80 and is moved out of operating position under the influence of the remaining 180 of the cam. It is thus made ready to receive the next shoe to be heeled while the preceding shoe is being operated upon. Near the top of the pivot-rod of jack J is attached a sector-plate l3, similar in character to the arm or plate 55. In each of the plates 56 and i3 are two depressions l5. With these depressions and with an intermediate arcuate edge of each plate contacts a roll Tl upon the forward extremity of a latching lever 19 fulcrumed on the frame and urged to ward the plate by a spring 8!. The corresponding roll 1'! rests within one or the other of the sector-plate-depressions, thus determining the exact position of the jack at each of its extremes When one of the arms 28 is actuated, either by the operator or by the machine, the edge of the sector rides beneath the roll, the lever l9 yielding to permit this.

As either jack approaches the inner operating position as a result of its manual actuation, the rear of its arm 28 contacts with the inner rounded end of a lever 82 fulcrumed horizontally upon the frame. This lever is joined by a link 84 to a lever system 86 (Fig. 2), which produces the engagement of a single-rotation clutch 88 to connect the reduction-gearing 68 of the driving mechanism for the machine to the shaft 6t, and thus start the operating cycle, which includes the automatic movement of the jacks just described. The cycle is terminated by a lever 90 actuated by a cam-surface upon the rear face of the gear l8 and contacting with a collar 92 upon the link 84 to disengage the clutch 88.

There is to be applied to the jacked work, during the operations of each of the mechanisms A, B and 0 upon it, first a preliminary or measuring pressure, which establishes contact of the work with the particular one of the three mechanisms with which it co-operates, and then a final or clamping pressure, which prepares the work to resist the operating forces. This is accomplished by the mechanism E. As best illustrated. in Figs. 2 and 3, there is located below the inward position which the jack assumes a slide 9 arranged to reciprocate vertically in the frame. At the top of this slide, extending from front to rear, are ways 56 to receive correspondingly arranged tongues 98 at the bottom of each jack-carrier 30 (Fig. 6). Thus, in operating position, the jack and slide are united for movement together. The slide 94 is provided with an axial threaded portion, in which is a screw Hill rising from and rotatable upon a lower slide N32. The screw is turned through sprocket-gearing Hi4 and a. friction device I96 from a vertical shaft 5&8, an idle sprocket I Hi (Fig. 1) directing the chain of the gearing in the proper path. Near the bottom of the shaft H33 is a pinion H2, with which meshes a gear-segment H4 upon a lever H5 fulcrumed at I 18 for horizontal movement. A roll i253 upon this lever lies within a cam-groove l22 in the periphery of a disk i2 3 secured to the shaft 74. The cam-groove I22 is so formed and timed that, through the rotation of the screw Mil, it successively raises and lowers the jack acted upon by the slide-94 three times during each operating cycle, thus causing engagement of the work with each of the mechanisms A, B and C. To insure full contact of the work with these mechanisms, the extent of vertical travel imparted to the jack may be in excess of what is actually required, the friction at I96 slipping to compensate for this. To allow final pressure to be applied to the work, the slide I52 has fulcrumed upon it at I39 a cam-lever I32. The lever supports the slide by contact with an abutment-roll I3 5 rotatable upon a normally stationary slide I36 movable vertically in the frame below the slide I02. A link I38 unites the lever I32 to a head Ii) adjustable in position upon a rod I42 guided for vertical movement axially of the turret T and employed to actuate all the mechanisms A, B and C, as will later appear. Downward movement is imparted to the head I68 and rod I62 through a chain of elements including double links Hid, an arm MI; of a lever III? turning about a horizontal spindle I43 supported near the bottom of the frame, a parallel arm 55% of the lever and a roll I52 upon the latter arm, which roll operates in contact with the periphery of an open cam I54 secured to the shaft I I. The head and rod are returned by engagement of a roll I56 upon the arm I59 with a cam-groove I58 in one face of the gear I2. After preliminary pressure has been applied to the work through the screw N19, to bring the active jack into co-operation with the particular operating mechanism with which it is at the time associated, the rocking of the lever I32 against the abutment-roll I34 upon the descent of the rod I42, raises the slide m2, the screw Ilii), the slide 94, the carrier 39 and the jack to give the final pressure. This having occurred, descent of the parts to their normal relation is assured by a lever I 99 (Fig. 2) fulcrumed upon the frame and bearing at its forward extremity upon the upper side of the fulcrum member I38, and at its opposite end having a slotted connection at I62 with the head I Ifl. Upward travel of the rod I92 forces the lever I89 against the member I353 to positively lower the slide I62 and the connected elements, including the active jack.

Lifts which are attached by the mechanism C may be of such yieldable material as rubber. This would be deformed by a clamping pressure corresponding in magnitude to that applied tothe leather base. I therefore include in the machine means for decreasing to a considerable extent the final pressure placed upon the lift and base at the mechanism C from that which is made effective at the mechanisms A and B. The slide I35 carrying the abutment-roll I34 rests at its lower end upon a wedge member I'IE arranged to reciprocate horizontally at the bottom of the frame. Formed upon the extended shank oflhe wedge is a rack I12, with which meshes a gearsegment I'I I upon one arm of a bell-crank lever I16 fulcrumed above the wedge member. A link H8 unites the lever I16 to a lever I8!) pivoted above it upon the frame. This connection is by a slot and screw I32, to permit variation in the throw imparted to the lever I16, and thus the travel of the wedge member [16. A roll I84 upon the lever I39 enters a cam-groove I86 surrounding a depending hub-portion I88 of the turret T. The contour of this cam-groove may be such that, following the operation of the base-nailing mechanism B, the wedge member I79 is slid to the right (Fig. 2) by its connections, so the slide I36 and abutment-roll I34 are lowered to decrease the amount which the cam-lever I 32 raises the jack-actuating slide 94. The pressure upon the work is thus reduced.

The turret T upon which the operating mechanisms A, B and C are borne, has a bearing, by means of its hub I88, in a vertical standard I90 formed in the frame. Extending axially through the hub and standard is the actuating rod I42. The weight of the turret is received by a ballbearing I92 at the top of the standard. Secured at the upper portion of the turret is a horizontal circular plate I94, about which groups of oscillatory sections :13, y and 2 included in the operating mechanisms A, B and C, respectively, are equally spaced, while arranged to reciprocate in the turret above this plate are three actuating plungers I96 for the mechanisms. Each of these plungers is guided in a tubular upward extension I95 from the plate I94 (Figs. 7, 13 and 14). Below this plate, a plate I98 is secured to the turret-hub for the support of pressure-springs and locking mechanisms for the sections. The outer edge of the plate I9 runs in close proximity to a cap-piece I91, strongly secured to the frame 29 and overhanging said plate. Upon application of operating pressure at any one of the mechanisms A, B and C, contact between the plate and cap-piece resists upward displacement of the turret. To rotate the turret in successive steps of and to lock it at the termination of each step in co-operation with the jack J or j which may be at the time presenting a shoe for heeling, there may be utilized mechanism of the shifting-worm type, of the character of that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,779,510, Ray, October 28. 1930. The worm and worm-wheel appear at 26 and 262, respectively (Figs. 1 and 2), the former being loose upon a horizontal shaft 294 and the latter fast upon the turret-hub I88. The worm is rotated by an attached gear 288 meshing with the elongated pinion 79, and is reciprocated to correctly time the periods of rotation and rest of the turret by a cam-groove 268 formed in an extension of the worm and engaged by a fixed projection 2 I9.

Of the operating mechanisms, considering first that for pricking and temporarily attaching a heel-base H which has been placed by the operator upon the pins 34 rising through the heel-seat openings of a jacked shoe S, there is secured to the plate I94 a depending abutment-post 22!] (Figs. 4 and 7). This post is so situated in the operating position of the mechanism A as to be vertically aligned with the central forward portion of the heel-seat-end of the base and to a considerable extent receive the pressure created by the mechanism E. In this post are two vertical passage 222, in which reciprocate nail; drivers 229 fixed in the plunger I96 of this mechanism. Nails N are delivered to the passages, by way of branch-passages 225 through flexible tubes 225 and vertical passages 22'! through the corresponding extension I97 of the turret (Figs. 13 and 14), from the distributing mechanism G, presently to be described. The nails may be retained temporarily in each passage, to receive the action of the driver, by an oscillatory abutment or stop 228 (Fig. 11) The stop turns about a pin 239 in a recess at the outer side of the passage, and has a peripheral wall 232 movable by a spring 235 seated in the section-recess to normally close the passage 222 below the connection therewith of the passage 225. Initially, each driver is elevated, and a nail may be delivered from the distributor for support by the stop. In its downward inserting movement, the driver, by engagement of its end with the surface 232 of the abutment, rocks this anti-clockwise about its support, freeing the passage 222 so the driver carries the nail before it and effects its insertion in the work. The opening at the end of the passage 225 is now closed by an arcuate peripheral surface 236 of the abutment intersecting the wall 232, and on which is supported the nail next delivered from the di tributor G. When the driver rises, the spring 234 rotates the stop clockwise, releasing the nail which has been resting at 238, and retaining it at 232, awaiting the next descent of the driver. The two nails thus driven by the mechanism A through the passages 222 secure the base if until it receives its full complement of attaching nails. At the sides and rear of the post 226 are six pricking sections :0 arranged in symmetrical pairs. In each section of the forward pair are shown two awl-passages 246, while each of the associated sections has one passage 252. Each section is pivoted at 2 55 upon a lug depending from the under side of the plate 19d, and is urged normally inward toward the post by a plunger 245 guided for horizontal movement in a casing 246 attached to the upper face of the plate I93. Each plunger receives the force of a spring 268 interposed between it and an abutment 250 rising from the plate. Projecting downwardly from the lower end of each section is a gage member 252 provided at its inner edge with an upwardly and inwardly inclined surface 254 leading to a vertical gage-surface 256. The normal relation of the sections :c is such that the surfaces 256 are sufficiently close to one another to adapt them to engage the outer peripheral edge of the smallest heel-base to be attached. The operator, in supplying a base for nailing, places this upon the pins 34 of the jack which are projecting through the heel-seat of the shoe. Then, when the jack is raised by the pressure mechanism, the edges of the base contact with the surfaces 254 of the sections, pressing these apart against their springs 248. At the end of the upward movement, or when the tread-end of the base engages the lower extremity of the post 220, the surfaces 256 will be in contact with the periphery of the base, thus locating all the sections for the insertion of the nails at predetermined points.

Movable longitudinally of each passage 240 and 2 32 is an awl 266 pivotally joined at 262 to a link 26 3, the link being pivoted at 266 to the lower end of the plunger I93. The plunger is reciprocated in the turret to cause the drivers 224 to insert the initial base-securing nails, and the awls 266 to prick openings to receive the baseattaching nails driven by mechanism B, by the following connections F, which also serve to actuate mechanisms B and C. Referring to Fig. 2, a lever 2'), extending horizontally above the frame 29, is fulcrumed upon said frame through a link 212. Near the forward extremity of the lever is articulated the actuating rod Hi2 reciprocated, as already described, by the cams I55 and. I58. To the end of the lever beyond the rod-connection is pivoted at 274 a bell-crank lever 216, and to the lower arm of this lever is pivotally joined at 218 a connecting member 286 having horizontal extensions or projecting portions 282. As the turret T rotates through its three steps, the member 280 is successively received by ways 28 3 (Fig. 7) formed in the upper portion of the plungers I66 of the mechanisms A, B and C, and these plungers are caused by the oscillation of the lever 210, under the control of its cams, to

ner, the connecting member 286 is held normally in position to receive the ways 284 by latches 288 and 295 (Fig. 8), movable, respectively, in the lever 2I6 and in the connecting member 280 and entering depressions in the opposite arms of the lever 2'i6. by the yield of these latches against their springs, to permit the actuating stroke of the lever 210.

To guard against displacement of the sections cc under the influence of the operating forces, I associate with them locking means. This may be seen in Figs. 4, 5 and '7. Extending inwardly from each plunger I96 through a slot in the turret between each pair of sections a: is a bracket 296, in which and in the turret below it is guided a vertical pressure-rod 298 provided with a pivoted end-portion 300. The rod is drawn positively up when the plunger I96 rises by the engagement with its bracket of nuts threaded upon its upper end, and is forced yieldably down, upon the descent of the plunger, by a spring 362 surrounding the rod and interposed between its endportion and the turret. At opposite sides of the rod-portion 300 are vertical slots 304, the inner walls of which taper or diverge upwardly (Fig. 5) With rounded ends lying in these slots and opposite ends contacting with plungers 245 are locking members 366. These locking members lie in slots in a guide member 308 held in the casing 255, there being some clearance between the members 366 and the walls of the slots. Springs 3 I 6 hold the locking members yieldably at one side of the slots. When a plunger I96 descends to perform the pricking or nailing operations, the diverging walls of the slots 304, wedging between the ends of the members 306, force these apart and against the plungers 245, securing the latter and the sections with which they contact against outward movement. Elevation of the plunger I96 releases the locking members and frees the sections.

After the mechanism A has operated, the turret rotates a step, and mechanism B comes into co-operation with the work upon the jack. This mechanism may be seen in Figs. 4 and 10. Its post 3I6 is imperforate, serving only to receive the clamping pressure of the central portion of the heel-base H. About it are arranged pairs of sections y, the same as to their general character, support and locking means as the sections r, save here all operate to insert the base-attaching nails, eight in number, in the openings pricked by the mechanism A. Consequently, to all their driver-passages 222, nails are delivered under the control of the retaining members 228, and in each passage a driver 3I8 operates. The plunger I96 of the drivers engages the common connecting member 289 of the actuating lever 216, as has already been described.

As to the mechanism C, there are preferably inserted by it six nails for attaching the lift it to the base H. One nail is driven near the center of the breast by a driver guided in a passage 320 (Fig. 4) in an abutment-post 322, this driver being fixed against movement in the corresponding The engaged elements are freed plunger 196. The movable sections 2 include an opposite side pair, each section inserting two nails and one rear section driving a single nail. Because there are but three movable sections, the locking members 306 are not arranged in pairs, but instead each section has a separate locking device.

In connection with the mechanism C, the holder D acts to deliver a lift supplied to it by the operator when he jacks a shoe to be heeled. This holder (Figs. 7 and 9) has a body-portion 330 provided with an outward extension 332 furnishing part of a parallel motion, the links 334 and 336 of which are pivoted to this extension and to the front of the cap-piece 191 above the opening 22 in the frame. The sides of the body-portion of the holder are flanged at 338 to furnish ways for a vertically movable slide 346 having at its lower extremity a projection 34! extending into a depression in the body-portion, in which depression is a helical spring 342 contacting with the projection .and urging the slide downwardly, as .appears in Fig. '7. Fulcrumed at 344 at opposite sides of the upper end of the slide are bellcrank levers 346, 346, horizontal arms of which extend toward each other and carry intermeshing gear-segments 348. Vertical arms of the levers have horizontal extensions 350 drawn normally toward each other by a connecting spring 352. The forward extremities of the extensions 356 are offset outwardly to give shoulders 354 to gage horizontally the position of a lift 71. inserted between them. The lift may be located vertically in the holding arms by recesses having upper walls overhanging the lift at 356 to receive its contact. The link 336 of the holder has formed with it an arm 358 carrying at its inner extremity a gear-segment 366 meshing with a rack-bar 362 guided for vertical movement in a slot in the cap 191 outside the turret T. At the inner side of the bar is a roll 364 lying in a cam-groove 366 formed about the turret (Fig. 3). The operator supplies a lift it to the holder D when he jacks a shoe and places a base upon the heel-seat, forcing said lift between the lever-extensions 350, which yield against their spring 352 to receive it. The lift is located horizontally in a predetermined position by engagement with the shoulders 354 and walls 356. Through the operations of the mechanisms A and B, the holder remains at rest, but as the turret brings the mechanism C into operating position, the cam-groove 366, acting through the gearing 360, 362, causes the holder and lift to descend, the latter entering, still in a horizontal position, between the heelbase on the jacked shoe and the lower ends of the sections a. As the jack with the shoe S and attached base rises, the ends of the pins 34 extending above the base enter openings in the lift which are alined with them and carry up said lift and its supporting levers 346 and the slide 340, the spring 342 yielding. The lift-attaching nails having been inserted by the mechanism C and pressure released by the mechanism E, the holder D is returned by the cam-groove 366 to its normal raised position.

The distributor G, which supplies nails to all three operating mechanisms, is mounted upon standards 316 rising from the frame 20 (Figs. 2 and 14). Supported upon the standards is a table 312. At one side of and beneath this table is located a block-magazine. This magazine is shown as a vertical cabinet, normally closed at one side by a door 314 (Fig. 15), through which door may be introduced the blocks 9 loaded with nails N. Each block is arranged as in the Pope patent previously referred to, it being provided with a retaining shutter or slide 316, upon which rest the points of the nails held in openings 318 in the block. The nails are released set by set by a step-by-step separation of the block and shutter until the nails have been delivered from the entire longitudinal series of transverse sets of openings. Above the table and magazine is a cover 386, in which are ways 382 (Fig. 16) to receive a rack-bar 384, which has a depending endportion 386 engaging the block upon the table 312 for the purpose of bringing its sets of openings one by one into position for registration with openings 388 in a discharge-roll 390 rotatable in a casing below the table.

The stack of blocks contained in the magazine M is borne by a platform 392 mounted upon the upper end of a rack-bar 394 guided for vertical movement in the supporting structure. Upward step-by-step travel of the platform to present successive blocks at the level of the table 312 and the advance of the thus-positioned blocks from the magazine upon the table into co-operation with the bar 334 is accomplished by mechanism common to both. As illustrated in Figs. 13, 14 and 15, a spindle 466 is carried horizontally in the frame below the magazine, and upon this turns a three-armed lever 462. A horizontally extending arm 464 of the lever is joined by a link 466 to an actuating lever 463 fulcrumed at the rear of the machine (Fig. 1) and having a roll operating in a. cam-groove 410 (Fig. 3) in the inner face of the gear 18. A second arm 412 of the lever 462 carries a yicldable pawl 4l4 engaging the teeth of the bar 364. The oscillation of the lever 462 under the influence of the cam is sufficient to cause the pawl to elevate the platform an amount equal to the thickness of one of the blocks g. There it is retained until the next elevating action by a spring-actuated detent 415 pivoted upon the frame. A third, vertical arm 416 of the lever 462 has co-operating with it a torsion-spring 4l8 surrounding the spindle 466, which spring acts to throw this arm 416 in toward the magazine and the arm 4| 2 down in preparation for its elevating or blockpresenting stroke. It is this inward movement of the arm 416 which causes the transfer of a block from the top of the stack in the magazine, to take the place upon the table 312 of a block which has been emptied of its nails. The upper end of the arm 416 has fixed in it a horizontal cross-rod 423, about the extremities of which pushing fingers 422 are free to turn. In the outer position of the arm 416, the fingers rest upon a latch-bar 424 mounted for reciprocation at the top of the outer magazine-wall. At this time, the latch-bar occupies recesses 426 in the fingers, so said fingers are held against the force of the spring 416 with their ends just outside the top block in the magazine. When the latch-bar is moved to the left (Fig. 16) in a manner to be described, recesses 428 in its upper edge are brought into alinement with the fingers, which are thereby released, so the spring 418 forces them against the outer side of the upper block. This is moved very rapidly from the magazine upon the table 312, a wall 433 of the table limiting this movement, and into co-operation with the block-feeding rack-bar 334. The releasing movement of the bar 424 is against the tension of a spring 432, which normally holds it in its latching relation. To prevent too great a shock as the blocks are stopped by the wall 430, I prefer to cushion the movement of the arm M6. For this purpose'there is fulcrumed upon the frame a bell-crank lever 434, one extremity of which has a slot receiving a pin 436 projecting from the arm 41%, while the other extremity is joined by a link 538 to the piston of a dash-pot as. While the successive sets of nails are being delivered from each block, the cam iiil is rotating idly, since it acts only in connection with the movement of the blocks in and from the magazine. Were not means taken to prevent it, an objectionable series of clicks would be produced by contact of the cam with the lever 468. The latch-bar 424 is substantially narrower than the recess 626, and has formed at the inner edge inclines 32 engaged by a corner M3 of each finger (Fig. 15). When the fingers 622 are latched to await the next block-delivery, the corners 443 of their recesses. slide down the inclines, so the connections hold the lever 458 just clear of striking engagement with the cam. The angle at which the surfaces M2 lie is too steep to cause the fingers to be released by slipping upwardly, their tendency being to move down under the influence of their weight.

When a block or is advanced from the magazine upon the table, its shutter 376 rests in a depression, at the forward edge of which, considering the delivering movement, is a retaining shoulder 45%! (Figs. 14 and 1'7). is wholly above this shoulder. When the feed of the block by the bar 384 occurs, the shoulder engages and holds the shutter While the block travels forward over the table. Thus the sets of openings 318 are uncovered one by one for delivery of the nails for successive heeling operations. The first set of nails should be ready for delivery by the roll 3% as soon as the block is carried into position by the fingers 422. That is, no feed of the block by the bar 384 should be necessary, since this feed occurs during a heeling operation. On the other hand, a set of the block-openings 3T8 cannot be advanced longitudinally of the roll 398 over openings 388, since the points of the nails would catch in the latter openings. I therefore carry the block over the table, first parallel to the axis of the roll 3% or in a direction at right angles to the movement of the bar 384, and, toward the termination of the travel, in an inclined direction having for its components movement parallel to the axis and at right angles thereto. The former introduces the shutter into the table-depression and associates the block with the bar; the latter separates the block from the shutter and produces cooperation of each block-opening with the corresponding roll-opening, without movement across associated roll-openings. Fulcrumed at the inner side of the table 312 is a bell-crank lever 452 (Fig. 16) having upon one arm a depending roll 454 lying in the path of the entering block at the end of the wall 430, while the curved extremity 456 of a second arm is situated adjacent to the end 385 of the rack-bar 384. As the block approaches the termination of its entering travel, it strikes the roll 45 i, swinging the lever 52 upon its fulcrum. The end 456 is thereby carried against the rack-bar, moving this and the engaged block far enough in its nail-delivering direction to aline the leading row of openings. in the block with the active openings of the discharge-roll 399. In its forward movement, the shutter 31E of the block is retained by the tableshculder 556, so the first set of block-openings is freed, ready for the delivery of the corresponding The block itself nails. At this time, the advance of the openings is at right angles to the axis of the roll, so each nail is brought directly into registration with the proper one of the set of roll-openings 388 at that time in delivering position, and is not caused to travel across other roll-openings to produce interference.

For each rotation of the turret T, the block 9 in use is to be stepped forward to present another set of nails for delivery by the roll 3% for the succeeding heel-attaching operation. Plotatable in lugs upon the cover 386] is a short shaft :36?) (Figs. 14 to 1'7) Fixed at the inner extremity of this shaft is an arm 362, upon which is pivoted a pawl iiii engaging the rack 38 3. An arm its secured to the opposite extremity of the shaft is united by a link 468 to a lever Mil fulcrumed upon the distributor-frame. A roll at the lower extremity of this lever is held by a spring 572 against the periphery of a double-pointed cam H4 fixed upon a shaft 375 journaled transversely of the frame. Upon each complete rotation of the turret, this shaft is turned through 186. Near the termination of each operating cycle, one of the points of the cam causes the pawl set to advance the block to the necessary extent. Each half-turn of the shaft 1 76 is in three steps corresponding to the three operating mechanisms A, B and C, it being produced by a can1- surface 118 upon the top of the turret, a lever th s fulcrumed upon the frame and provided with a roll urged by a torsion-spring Mi into contact with the cam, a link 482, an arm an arranged to oscillate about the shaft 415 and one-way ratchet-connections 436. The reason for this divided actuation of the shaft is hereinafter developed.

For each advance of the block, the rack-bar 385 is retained by a detent 638 pivoted upon the cover 3853 and engaging the rack. This retention is against the force, tending to return the bar to its initial position, of a weight 395! secured by a flexible member 492 to the rack-bar, the member being guided by a sheave 6%. The detent is tripped after the last set of block-openings has been emptied by a projection 496 (Fig. 15) from the side or" the rack-bar, this projection engaging a projection 398 depending from a slide 536 guided in the cover above the bar. Movement produced by the engagement carries the forward end of the slide against the under side of the detent 388 (Fig. 1'7), lifting this to free the rack bar and holding it raised. At the termination of the return travel of the bar, a lateral projection &2 from its forward end contacts with the s1ide-- projection 39%}, restoring said slide to its initial position and freeing the detent. A spring 5% mounted in the cover creates sufficient frictional resistance to movement of the slide 5539 so the latter remains in place until shifted the rackbar. At the termination of the restoring movemom; of the bar, it strikes the end see of the lever Q52 to return this to normal. In this return, a roll 5536 mounted upon the end of the lever engages a lever 558 fulcrumed upon the distributor-frame. The lever 58 is thereby turned to bring a projection 559 at its outer end against the bar M l, which latches the feeding fingers 422. This shifts said bar sufliciently to bring its depressions 52S beneath the fingers, releasing these to permit them to at once feed the next block from the magazine under the influence of the spring 4! 8. As the shutter of this succeeding block contacts with that of the previous block, it forces it from the table through a slot or elongated opening M2 at the bottom of the wall 430. Each fresh block, as it is carried forward in its nail-delivering movement, contacts with the previously emptied block, and this is ejected from the apparatus, to be deposited in a receptacle.

It has already been explained that the delivery of nails from the distributor is in three distinct groups, containing difierent numbers of nails for use, respectively, at the mechanisms A, B and C. This delivery is under the control of the roll 398, the openings 388 of which are arranged in three groups, each equaling in number the nails for a particular mechanism. In the present instance, these are, respectively, two, eight and six for the mechanisms A, B and C, they being successively presented to the set, of openings 378 in the nailblock which are at the time in position for discharge. The roll 3% is turned to aline its different groups of openings with the block-openings by spur-gearing 5| 6 from the shaft 316. To guard against misalinement of the roll-openings with the block-openings, the roll carries, fast upon it, a star-wheel BIS, the depressions in the periphery of which receive a roll 52%? upon the end of a retaining arm 522 pivoted upon the frame and drawn into the depressions by a spring 524. The groups of openings 338 may be separated by intervals of 60, they being brought into registration with each set of nail-blockopenings 378 at one end during the rotation of the roll through 180, and with the succeeding set of block-openings at the opposite end during the remaining 180. Since, as already described, each half-turn of the roll 359 is effected in three steps by the turret-cam M8, one of the three groups of roll-openings is alined with the blockopenings after the corresponding mechanism A, B or C to be supplied arrives at the operating position. From openings in the casing of the roll 393 with which the lower extremities of the openings 388 are alined, flexible tubes 5% lead to openings in a foot-plate 528 suspended beneath the table 312, these openings being alined in the rotation of the turret with the openings in its extensions 25 as these come successively beneath the foot-plate. The connections of the groups of tubes 5% of course correspond to the grouping of the tubes 226, so the correct number of nails is delivered to each of the mechanisms A, B and C.

To state in outline the manner of using this machine, the operator supplies the magazine M of the distributor G with blocks a loaded with the size of nails N proper for the heels to be attached. A block is also placed upon the table 312 in nail-delivering position, co-operating with the rack-bar 384. Initially, that group of the discharge-roll-o-penings 388 which feeds two nails is alined with the first transverse set of the block-openings 3E8, so these two nails at once pass through the corresponding tubes 526, passages 22'! and tubes 226 to the retaining members 228 in the driver-passages 222 of the post 22!! of the pricking and preliminary base-attaching mechanism A. This mechanism A, at the beginning of the operating cycle, is located opposite the opening 22 in the frame. For the first operation, both the jacks J and 3' will be out of work-receiving position, as appears in Fig. 1. To one of these, as J, the operator applies a shoe S consisting of a lasted upper with its attached insole and outsole, this shoe being held in a predetermined relation to the jack by the passage of the jack-pins 34 through previous ly formed openings in the heel-seat-portion of the shoe-bottom. The operator also places a heel-base H upon the jack-pins and heel-seat, and inserts a top lift between the arms 35!! of the holder D. The jack J is now pushed through the opening 22 into the machine, a portion 81! of its actuating cam 6|] permitting this. When the jack, in its manual travel, strikes the lever 82, the clutch 88 is engaged for actuation of the machine through a single cycle, and the automatic operation begins. First, the pressure mechanism E yieldably elevates the jack to measure the heel-seat-portion of the shoe and the heel-base thereon, and then continues the upward movement positively to clamp the work against the ends of the post 229 and of the sections x of the mechanism A. In the establishment of engagement between the work and the sections, the latter yield against their springs 2e23, so they are located with their awl-passages 2 3i and 242 at definite distances from the periphery of the base. The plunger 1% of the mechanism A is engaged by the connecting member 286 of the actuating mechanism F, which now begins its downward movement. This first locks the sections 3: by the wedging actions of the rod-portions 308, and causes the insertion of the two preliminary base-attaching nails at a, and the pricking in the base by the awls 26E] of eight nailreceiving openings p. After this, the plunger is elevated by the actuating mechanism F, the sections :1: are unlocked for return by their springs to their normal inner positions, and the jack is lowered by the pressure mechanism E. The turret T now rotates through bringing the base-nailing mechanism 13 into operating position over the jacked work, and with its plunger I96 in engagement with the connecting member 280 of the actuating mechanism F. The discharge-roll 39d of the nail-distributor G thereupon rotates through 60, bringing its group of eight openings into registration with the tubes 526 to make a delivery of the base-attaching nails to the sections y. In connection with this mechanism B, the application of pressure to the work, the locking of the sections and the insertion of the nails are efiected in the same manner as just described for mechanism A, save here the driving of all the nails is performed by the yieldable sections, the nails being inserted at b in the pricked openings p. Also, for mechanism C, which is brought into co-operation with the work by a further 120 rotation of the turret, the insertion of the six lift-attaching nails at 0 takes place through a series of actions similar to those for mechanism B, these nails having been fed to the sections a upon 60 of additional rotation of the discharge-roll 390. It is to be noted, in this connection, that when the turret brings the mechanism C to rest opposite the opening 22, the lift-holder D is automatically carried in to interpose a lift it between the already nailed base H and the pressure-receiving surfaces of the mechanism C, so this lift is carried up against said surfaces when the jack J is raised by the pressure mechanism E. Further, if a rubber lift is to be attached, the actuating mechanism of the wedge Ill] is so set that the' clamping pressure of the mechanism E is automatically reduced, preventing the yieldable lift from being unduly compressed. During the automatic heeling operation, which has just been described in connection with the jack J, the operator has been preparing another shoe for heeling upon the jack 7', and when the machine throws out the former jack with the finished work, he swings in the jack :i for the succeeding operation. After the delivery of the last group of six nails by the discharge-roll 390 for the first heel-attaching operation, this roll turns through 60 to bring the first group of two openings into nail-delivering position, and the actuating mechanism of the feeding pawl 464 advances the block 9* one step to bring a second set of nail-openings 318 into delivering relation to the roll. This continues until all the sets of openings in the longitudinal series have been used. The rack-bar 384, which has been advancing the block, is thereupon released from its retaining detent 488 and returned to its initial position by the weight 490. At the completion of this reverse movement, the rack-bar shifts the lever 508 and thus the latch-bar 424 to release the fingers 422, spring-actuated under the influence of the lever H6. The fingers, thus freed, carry forward a full block g from the top of the stack in the magazine M into nail-delivering position upon the table 372 in co-operation with the rack-bar, this occurring only when the bar is in position to receive the block. The stack in the magazine is elevated to present another block at the transferring level, this being efiected by the lever 4| 6 when said lever is moved out under the power of the machine to be latched by the bar 424. It will be seen that the supply of nails to the operating mechanisms A, B and C is made entirely automatic for all the sets of openings of all the blocks 9 contained in the magazine.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a shoe machine, a plurality of operating mechanisms movable to an operating position common to all, a plurality of work-supports movable to receive the action of the mechanisms at said common operating position, and means for moving the supports and mechanism to and from the common operating position in definite timerelation to each other, the work being retained by each support at such position to receive the successive action of the operating mechanisms.

2. In a heel-attaching machine, plural mechanisms for operating upon heels; said mechanisms being movable to a position common to all and there movable to perform an operation upon a heel, a plurality of jacks movable to receive the action of the mechanisms at said common operating position, and means for moving the jacks successively to the operating position and for moving all the operating mechanisms into cooperation with each jack.

3. In a shoe machine, a plurality of operating mechanisms movable into operating position, a plurality of work-supports arranged for movement independently of each other into and out of operating position, and means for moving the mechanisms and supports to the operating position.

4. In a heel-attaching machine, plural mechanisms for operating upon heels, said mechanisms being movable to an operating position common to all, a plurality of jacks movable to receive the action of the mechanisms at said common operating position, means made effective by the machine for moving the jacks successively to the operating position, said jacks being movable by the operator independently of each other, and means actuated by the machine for moving all the operating mechanisms into co-operation with each jack.

5. In a shoe machine, a rotatable turret, a plurality of operating mechanisms mounted upon the turret, means for rotating the turret to successively present the mechanisms at an operating position, oscillatory work-supports, and means for moving the work-supports into registration with the operating mechanisms at the operating position.

6. In a heel-attaching machine, a rotatable turret, a plurality of nailing mechanisms mounted upon the turret, means for rotating the turret to successively present the nailing mechanisms at an operating position, a plurality of movable jacks, and means for successively moving the jacks to the operating position into registration with the successively presented nailing mechanisms.

'7. In a heel-attaching machine, a rotatable turret, pricking mechanism, base-nailing mechanism and lift-nailing mechanism mounted upon the turret, means for rotating the turret to suecessively present the mechanisms at an operating position, two jacks, and means for moving the jacks alternately to the operating position to register with the successively presented mechanisms.

8. In a shoe machine, a plurality of operating mechanisms movable to an operating position common to all, an actuating member at said position into engagement with which the operating mechanisms move, and a plurality of movable supports arranged to successively present shoes to receive the action of all the operating mechanisms under the influence of the actuating member.

9. In a shoe machine, a plurality of operating mechanisms movable to an operating position common to all, an actuating member at said position into engagement with which the operating mechanisms move, a plurality of movable supports arranged to successively present shoes to receive the action of all the operating mechanisms under the influence of the actuating memher, and means for moving the mechanisms, member and supports in definite time-relation.

10. In a heel-attaching machine, plural mechanisms for operating upon heels, said mechanisms being movable to an operating position common to all, an actuating member at said operating position and into successive engagement with which the operating mechanisms are moved, and a plurality of jacks movable to the common operating position to receive the action of all the operating mechanisms.

11. In a shoe machine, a plurality of operating mechanisms movable to an operating position common to all, a plurality of work-supports movable to receive the action of the mechanisms at said common operating position, mechanism common to plural work-supports at the operating position and arranged to move them toward the operating mechanisms to apply pressure to the work, and means for moving the supports and mechanisms in definite time-relation.

12. In a heel-attaching machine, plural mechanisms for operating upon heels, said mechanisms being movable to an operating position common to all, a plurality of jacks movable to receive the action of the mechanisms at said common operating position, pressure mechanism at the operating position into co-operation with which the jacks move and which move said jacks toward the operating mechanisms, and means for moving the jacks successively to the operating posi tion and for moving allthe operating mechanisms into co-operation with each jack. 

